COMET CENTRAL

Ive been finally getting around to rebuilding the dagenham transmission that i had torn apart the better part of 2 1/2 years ago and i thought i would try to replace any worn parts i could when i put it back together. Does anyone know how to determine whether or not a ball bearing is worn other than by sound? These bearings are ment to be partially submerged in gear oil meaning trying to rotate them "dry" and listen to them is a non-viable test. I can get replacements from VXB bearing in anaheim for about $70 with shipping but as this is going to be just a stand in trans until i get the all the components to swap the v8 i dont know if i want to drop an additional 70 on the bearings if i can get away with reusing the originals. The trans did rotate and go in and out of gear just fine when i bought it i just wanted to freashen up the gaskets and seals to minimize leaks

you can look at them ,if you don't visble see anything......then reuse them,,,,after they are cleaned they may be a loose feeling in the cage,but as long as they stay trapped in the cage ,,they should be ok while running half submerged in gear oil,,that's my take on your question....thanks and good luck...........pop

I don't know that particular trans or bearing but I assume you took down the bearing info of the face and called a industrial bearing supplier to see if they have them available at lesser cost.Unless its one of those rare ones that is proprietary and unavailable . Its no surprise that these resellers have hefty mark ups.You did say this was a standby trans so does change things of course and $70 isn't chump change .about 80+% of bearing failures can be attributed to improper installation. I know its not really part of your question .Never re use a bearing that has been removed from a shaft unless you absolutely have to. As previously mentioned You can clean a bearing in solvent and blow it clean but do not let any of the elements rotate.Inspect the interior surface of the races with a good flashlight and each ball.A little light greying on the contact surfaces in the inner outer race is normal. The balls should be shiny any localized peening type marks on the race is an indication of improper installation or removal. look for scratches on the balls .Even a slight scratch can cause the ball to skid instead of turn which can lead to all sorts of nasty stuff.The cages/bearing seperators can also wear but you wont know.That is detected in oil sample analysis which is a different kettle of fish.